Quartersawn Oak Lyre-Leg Library Table — Dovetail Drawer, Lower Shelf

American Golden Oak library table in solid quartersawn white oak — no veneers — circa 1890–1910. The top displays strong medullary ray figuring throughout, framed within a shaped, rounded-corner edge profile. The base is composed of two lyre-form trestle ends, each built from sweeping pierced scroll supports joined by carved volute brackets at the apron rail, with 2½" thick legs and scroll feet anchoring each end. A full-width lower shelf connects both trestle ends. The lyre-form trestle end was a hallmark of Renaissance Revival furniture in the 1870s and 1880s; by the 1890s, American manufacturers were translating that form into quartersawn oak for the expanding Golden Oak domestic market, giving pieces like this one both decorative character and solid, all-wood construction. A single dovetail drawer is housed flush in the apron on one long side with a traditional wood-on-wood sliding fit and no hardware.

CONDITION

Good. The table is sturdy with no structural looseness; all joints hold firmly and the drawer operates as intended. The quartersawn surfaces show age-appropriate wear including light surface scratching and darkening to the drawer interior. 

DIMENSIONS / SPECIFICATIONS

• Height: 29½"
• Width: 42"
• Depth: 26¼"
• Shelf Height from Floor: 18½"
• Leg Thickness: 2½"
• Construction: Solid quartersawn white oak — no veneers
• Drawer: Single dovetail, flush-fit, no hardware
• Lower Shelf: Full-width, fixed
• Base Style: Lyre-form trestle ends, scroll feet
• Period: American Golden Oak, circa 1890–1910
• Mark: Partial numeric stamp on drawer back, ending in "17" — catalog/model number, maker unconfirmed

Bob Ross (6'2") Shown for Scale